Tokyo Three Generations

Upon hearing the question, Jun Takasaki composed himself and briefly recounted what he remembered.

"You have a good memory." Toyokawa Kiyoko glanced at him with some surprise.

“After all, I’m a top student. Even without connections, I think I’m qualified to join your company.” Still somewhat boyish, Jun Takasaki finally found an opportunity to show off.

"Then can you still stand in front of my desk?" Toyokawa Kiyoshi retorted with a cold laugh. "Can you still stand next to Xiangzi?"

This remark immediately deflated Takasaki Jun's spirits. "Of course not... I'd probably just be doing odd jobs for your subordinates' subordinates."

"So you should cherish your good fortune," Toyokawa Kiyotaka said, subtly admonishing and reminding him.

“Dad, you can’t say that.” Seeing Chun being blamed unjustly, Xiangzi couldn’t stand it anymore and took over his father’s words. “A young talent like Chun can shine anywhere. Even if he’s in trouble for a while, he will eventually soar to great heights. I think even without connections, Chun is qualified to stand shoulder to shoulder with me…”

Xiangzi's words were obviously unrealistic, but Toyokawa Kiyokazu was powerless to refute them at the moment.

They've only known each other for a short time, yet she's already so protective of him. Toyokawa Kiyoko suddenly felt a pang of heartache, a feeling of "a daughter growing up and leaving home."

While feeling heartbroken, he suddenly recalled that many years ago, he had stood in front of the president's desk, obediently listening to his father-in-law's scolding, while Mizuho spoke up for him.

At that time, I was in my prime, and Ruihui was only a little older than Xiangzi, both at the peak of their youth and beauty.

Time may pass, but the stage remains the same; only the protagonists have changed.

Thinking back on the past, he felt both heartbroken and somewhat gratified, feeling that the couple from back then finally had "a successor".

Xiangzi, needless to say, was meticulously trained by his parents and was flawless in both manners and talents, completely comparable to Ruihui; as for this young man... although he was unwilling to admit it, the fact was obvious, he was better than he was back then.

Well, that's fine too. The future will ultimately belong to them. I just need to play the role of a "guardian dog" during this transition period, and let them go and make their own way when the time comes.

Because he had thought of this, he stopped arguing with the two children and just glared at Takasaki Jun, then his tone softened considerably.

"Since you remember the details, I don't need to say anything more. In short, this project is a key project for our group. As the president, I will personally promote and supervise it. You will assist me in promoting it. This is also your first business project."

After a pause, he added, "This project doesn't involve a large amount of funding, only a few hundred billion, but it concerns the reputation of our group... We absolutely cannot afford to fail. We must ensure that the name of Fengchuan stands tall before everyone."

As for you… you're still new to the job, so no one will expect too much from you. Just do your job well, and I'll personally evaluate how well you do it. Don't even think about slacking off!

The fact that the investment was described as "not large" despite its scale of several hundred billion yen truly surprised Jun Takasaki.

However, upon closer examination, several hundred billion yen is only about one or two billion US dollars, and most of it is bank financing, which is not a remarkable figure for the Toyokawa Group.

What matters is not money, but face and prestige.

The ability to build the Toyokawa Commercial Center on the original site of the Olympic Village in the heart of Tokyo is a perfect testament to the group's strength.

Moreover, after the sudden death of the head of the family and the forced resignation of the old president, the Toyokawa family was indeed in dire need of some big moves to demonstrate to the outside world that they were still invincible.

Thinking about it this way, he understood Toyokawa Kiyoko's intention.

He can be idiosyncratic in small matters, but he is never careless when it comes to important things.

So he bowed to Toyokawa Kiyoko again and made a solemn promise.

"I will do my utmost to assist you, and I will never slacken my efforts!"

While the two were talking, Xiangzi watched with great interest.

Essentially, both men were doing work for her.

After all, all the benefits that the Fengchuan Group gains, whether tangible profits or intangible prestige, will ultimately fall into her hands; she is the embodiment of the group.

In truth, she doesn't care whether she can make money or how much money she can make. It's no exaggeration to say that money is just a number to her; she doesn't have any concrete feeling about it.

What she cares about is the feeling of being cherished and protected.

He will never walk alone in this world, and as the future head of the Toyokawa family, she will generously repay such loyalty and protection.

Even now, we can still repay the debt.

Well, he's finally here, so how should I treat him...? She was already lost in thought about this.

After finishing his instructions with Jun Takasaki, Kiyotaka Toyokawa picked up the company's internal phone and dialed a number.

After the call connected, Toyokawa Kiyotaka simply said, "Come over here right away."

Then he hung up the phone.

Jun Takasaki was still wondering who would come next when he soon got the answer.

The secretary opened the door, and a middle-aged woman dressed in a women's suit, pencil skirt, and high heels swayed and wobbled in.

Jun Takasaki was shocked to discover that he recognized this person—it was Tsubaki Shirasawa, whom he had met once before at the Toyokawa residence.

Thinking about it carefully, this is not surprising. After all, when Bai Zechun introduced herself, she said that she was a senior executive of Fengchuan Group, so she was certainly qualified to be in the company building.

Just as he was looking at the newcomer, Bai Zechun's gaze immediately fell on him as well.

She strode to the front of the conference table, then turned to Jun Takasaki with a charming smile.

"Young Master Chun! It's been a long time! You've finally come today... I was quite surprised when I heard you were coming..."

Then, she looked him up and down again, and then exclaimed in admiration, "You look even more handsome this time than when we last met... You really are a handsome man."

After exchanging greetings, she turned to Xiangzi, her smile a mixture of satisfaction and playful teasing. "Xiangzi, you must be very happy today, right? Young Master Chun has made you proud. I heard several people say he's handsome."

Xiangzi was a little shy and lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Jun Takasaki was also somewhat amused and exasperated.

It seems that Shirasawa Tsubaki has an extraordinary relationship with the Toyokawa family, which is why she speaks so disrespectfully, even ignoring the president after entering and directly talking to the two juniors.

It was Toyokawa Kiyotaka who couldn't stand it anymore.

"That's enough. I called you here for important business. Be more serious."

Bai Zechun wasn't afraid of being reported by Feng Chuanqing, but she had to give the president face, so she smiled and bowed slightly to the president, saying, "I'm sorry, president, I'm just too happy today. After all, this kind of thing is rare, and it's all over the company's group chats now. Many people are asking who this young man is. I'm having such a hard time keeping quiet, even though I know everything, I can't say anything~ But I think in a few days, those who need to know will know."

Although the top executives of the Toyokawa Group are all powerful and seemingly unapproachable, they are essentially ordinary people with a desire for gossip. Many of them even have internal chat groups to exchange various company gossips.

After attending the meeting, Jun Takasaki was immediately targeted by many people. After the meeting, they talked about what happened that day in various chat groups, and Tsubaki Shirasawa naturally found out about it immediately.

Although no one took photos and it was just a verbal description, as one of the insiders, Bai Zechun immediately understood who the person was. Then she secretly rejoiced for her young lady—her life's most important matter had finally taken a big step forward, which was cause for celebration.

Upon receiving the president's summons, she naturally rushed over immediately—a legal elite who usually exudes a cool and aloof demeanor was seen sprinting through the building in high heels, demonstrating just how intense her desire to gossip was.

With a smile on her face, Bai Zechun looked at the two children in front of her, praising them as a "perfect match" from time to time. At this moment, she seemed more like an aunt who had satisfied her gossip desires than a senior executive.

The news spread... Takasaki Jun was now in even greater turmoil.

Although this was to be expected, he still couldn't help but feel a little flustered after Bai Zechun confirmed it to him personally.

Xiangzi, however, had the exact opposite idea.

Although she was a little shy, she remembered that Aunt Bai Ze had given her advice and helped bring the two of them closer, making her a "meritorious contributor." So, she returned Bai Ze Chun's sweet smile.

"Aunt Bai Ze, please take care of Chunye."

"Yes, of course. I'll risk my life to protect Young Master Chun." Bai Zechun immediately puffed out his chest and agreed.

Toyokawa Kiyoko ignored Shirasawa Tsubaki's "disrespectful to elders" nonsense and directly explained to Takasaki Jun.

"Chun, because the attendees at the regular meetings are all department heads with intertwined interests, they tend not to discuss anything too important or specific. The meetings are just meant to give attendees a general overview of the group. To truly delve into the details, you'll need to interact with those department heads privately. Since you're relatively insignificant, you'll need a suitable mentor. She will handle the specific negotiations for you and help you mitigate potential risks. In the future, if you have any questions, feel free to ask her. She will be your loyal and reliable advisor."

At this moment, Bai Zechun also regained his composed and elite demeanor.

"Young Master Chun, while it's good to be in the limelight, it's also risky to be targeted. From now on, you must be careful with your words and actions. Don't talk to strangers, and especially avoid any private dealings. The Toyokawa family is a very complicated place; don't get involved carelessly. — Please rely on me for everything; I'll take good care of you. But there's no need to thank me; just thank Xiangzi."

136, unpredictable mood swings

"Please rely on me for everything; I'll take good care of you. But don't thank me, just thank Xiangzi."

Bai Zechun's words were both considerate and slightly sarcastic, and he kept emphasizing the subjectivity of "Xiangzi," which could be said to have pleased everyone at the same time.

Since the other party had said so, Jun Takasaki naturally couldn't put on airs.

“Alright, Aunt Bai Ze, I hope you will take care of me from now on. I will try my best not to let you down…” He bowed to Bai Zechun again.

"Don't call me that." Bai Zechun turned to the side, deliberately pretending to be dissatisfied. "It's okay for Xiangzi to call me auntie, but when you call me that, it makes me feel too old... I can't stand it."

"Aren't you just an old auntie? What else?" Jun Takasaki thought to himself, but he would never dare to say such a thing out loud.

"Then how should I address you?" Jun Takasaki asked respectfully.

“Just call me Teacher Bai Ze, after all, you are indeed my student now—my only student.” Bai Ze Chun replied with a smile.

"Alright, you're all getting on in years, stop with these tricks. It's really embarrassing to watch," Toyokawa Kiyokazu complained impatiently. He was the only one present who had the right to speak such a cruel truth.

Before Shirazawa Tsubaki could explode, Takasaki Jun quickly tried to smooth things over, saying, "Please, Mr. Shirazawa!"

Seeing how 'sensible' he was, Bai Zechun's smile deepened, and he waved to him affectionately.

"Yes, Young Master Chun can definitely do it, keep it up!"

The two had already exchanged contact information, so there was no need to exchange it again. Bai Zechun simply picked up her phone and sent a cute cat emoji in the chat box—for her age, using such an emoji was really a bit out of place.

"Young Master Chun, let's communicate in this way from now on. I will also use it to notify you of any important matters, so please remember not to miss any messages."

Takasaki Jun could clearly sense that this teacher, Bai Ze, was very kind to him. This kindness was partly because he was Xiangzi's close friend and she dared not neglect him; but on the other hand, she herself was also quite close to him.

Is this a coincidence?

Thinking back, every female elder I've encountered since my teenage years, whether it's the old ladies in my hometown or the wealthy women in Tokyo, has unanimously said that I'm very handsome, and many of them have made no attempt to hide their affection for me.

So, could it be that I have the potential to become a heartthrob for housewives?

Jun Takasaki couldn't help but feel a little smug inside.

He is destined to enter politics in the future. On the stage of electoral politics, "housewife killer" is not a derogatory term, but a powerful weapon that many people dream of.

It's important to understand that due to years of economic stagnation, voters have become increasingly indifferent to politics and political parties, resulting in consistently low voter turnout in parliamentary elections in Japan.

In this context, housewives, who have more free time and are more likely to vote, become a very important voter group. If a politician can gain the collective favor of this group, he can naturally gain a huge advantage in the election.

The then Prime Minister Koizumi relied on his extremely high popularity among this group, which kept his approval rating high for a long time, and ultimately made him prime minister for a rare 5 years.

If I really had that kind of aura, I wouldn't have to worry about being elected in the future...

Okay, let's not think about it too much for now; the present matter is more important.

Toyokawa Kiyoshi watched this scene with indifference. Although he was a little annoyed by Shirazawa Tsubaki's disrespectful behavior, he thought it was a good thing that the two of them had a better relationship, so he didn't say anything to make the conversation awkward.

He brought this kid to the meeting today and formally introduced Bai Zechun to him as an advisor. He has basically achieved his goals, so there seems to be no need to keep him around any longer.

"Alright, you two go and rest for a bit. You'll come back with me later."

Then, he looked at Shirazawa Tsubaki and said, "Take the two of them to the president's lounge."

"Children, come with me~" Bai Zechun understood, and then waved to them, like a teacher organizing a spring outing.

Then, the two of them followed Shirawa Tsubaki and took the elevator to the top floor, to the president's lounge.

After confirming that it was the young lady, the staff here quickly let them in, and the three of them went inside together.

Jun Takasaki was taken aback when he stepped through the gate.

When he first heard the word "lounge," he thought it was some kind of private room, or at most a larger one. But when he was actually there, he realized that it was almost an entire floor of open space with a recliner and a desk next to the floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as a dedicated bookshelf. There were also various fitness equipment nearby.

In the very center of the "loudsing room" is a large indoor swimming pool.

The pool walls are made of blue waterproof bricks, giving the pool a soft blue hue. Above the pool is a glass skylight, through which sunlight streams down and falls into the center of the pool, making the water appear even more crystal clear.

They really know how to enjoy life. The chaebols are indeed incredibly extravagant... He couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.

"Gentlemen, please rest here." At this moment, Bai Zechun smiled and looked at the two of them, gesturing for them to sit down.

Then, as if reminiscing, she raised her hand and pointed to the desk and chair not far away, "I used to often read and chat with Ruihui here... It's a pity that I didn't live long enough. From now on, it's your turn to enjoy this kind of leisure."

After a moment of reflection, she gave a slight bow. "Alright, you two rest here. I need to go back and take care of some work. Bye-bye!"

"Goodbye." The two bowed to Bai Zechun together, watching the aunt leave.

After she left, the two of them walked together to the bookshelf and sat down in the chairs.

As soon as I sat down, a female employee brought me a cold mint juice drink.

"You really don't know the difference until you see it with your own eyes... Today I've truly felt the difference between our two families." Jun Takasaki picked up his cold drink, took a sip, and then let out a long sigh. "Shoko, you're really amazing."

"What's so great about it? It's just because of the legacy of my ancestors." Xiangzi shook his head a little embarrassedly. "I didn't earn these things myself; I just reaped the benefits..."

Xiangzi said this partly out of modesty, and partly out of fear that Takasaki Jun would think she looked down on the Takasaki family.

Thank God, she never had that idea.

“That’s what makes you so amazing,” Jun Takasaki interrupted her as she was feeling uneasy. “In your position, most people who grow up like this, being pampered and indulged by everyone around them, would inevitably become arrogant, capricious, and treat their own will as the law… But you can still be so humble and respectful towards others. That’s truly remarkable. I doubt I could do it myself. And that’s your most precious and admirable quality.”

Jun Takasaki spoke these words with utmost seriousness; they were not merely flattery but came from the bottom of his heart—how many people could resist being blinded by power?